Wed, 22nd Feb, 2017 Millers Point Reserve, west of Bremer Bay, WA (exploring Bremer Bay area)

7.30am 18 degrees. No wind this morning but overcast. The inlet is so still.

9am headed into Bremer Bay to explore. The clouds are parting so hopefully the day will improve.

Drove through the little township to Millers Point, a boat ramp into Wellstead Estuary. Looking up the estuary to where the Bremer River flows in.

Forlorn tree.

On the other side of the point is another boat ramp. Looking down towards the mouth where it flows into Bremer Bay.

Drove back along the estuary edge to a jetty.

Zoomed in on the sandbar across the estuary’s entrance to the bay.

Back to the Info Centre to pick up the Point Henry Drive Trail brochure and read the information about the history of Bremer Bay. Good aerial of the bay and estuary.

Drove out to the sandbar – on the map it says Gairdner Road goes across the sandbar and continues across the other side. The sand is very hard here so Steve reckons it is ok to cross the little channel – but we didn’t.

Parked beside the channel joining the estuary to the bay. Zoomed in on the houses beside the estuary.

The water was rushing in and out with little fish swimming in front of the wave.

Around Bremer Point to the Southern Ocean.

Zoomed in on sand dunes across the bay above James Cove.

Bremer Beach – not looking to bright and sparkly today.

Drove back then up the hill to the lookout over the estuary and bay and info about whales and seals.

Made a cuppa and enjoyed the view. A tour bus with only one passenger pulled up. The guide said the Cheynes at Cape Riche are the same family of the Cheynes with the whaling boats etc.

Across the bay West Mt Barren (340m) and Mt Bland (320m) tower in the Fitzgerald River National Park.

Out to Bremer Point where the Wellsteads had a signal cairn to let ships know when to come in for cargo etc.

Some dolphins were rounding up fish in the distance in John Cove. I managed to get some fins and even some dolphins in this picture.

The point looking out to sea. Zoomed in on an island but no mention of its name on the map.

John Cove and beach that continues around to Back Beach (abalone farm) then Fishery Beach where a boat harbour is.

Looking back over Bremer Bay. No name for the point.

Back into town to the 1896 Telegraph Station. It is now a café/restaurant so we didn’t go in. Construction of the Overland Telegraph Line from Albany to Adelaide began in 1875 when the original station was built. It opened for telegraphic traffic on the 8^th May, 1876. The original building burnt down and was replaced with this stone structure in 1896.

Continued down Wellstead Road to the original homestead and other buildings at Peppermint Grove on the western side of the peninsula. It is still owned by a descendant of the family and there is a museum, coffee shop etc but unfortunately today it is closed.

The first cottage along the road though is John’s Cottage – the first one he built when he first came here in 1850.

Back to Point Henry Road then down Swarbrick Road to Fisher Beach on the other side of the point. A boat harbour has been made here but originally there was whale tryworks here in the early days then it was used as a base for salmon and herring fishing. I wonder if the Swarbricks were related to the family at Walpole. Walked down and found concrete slabs in the creek area off to the right so not sure if that was the tryworks or the salmon tanks.

Back up to the main road then onto Black Rock Road and up to Tooreburrup Hill’s Lookout. Great view. Obviously the Wellstead family has sold off all the land they had on the peninsula to housing now. Starting from over Point Gordon then around to Point Henry then the point above Little Boat Harbour (the first beach).

Across Dillon Bay to Cape Knob then around to Stream Beach and Dillon Beach.

Across the other side are the info board and a big rock that I climbed up on to get a better view over the farmlands. In the distance we can just make out the eastern end of the Stirling Ranges but it didn’t come out in the photo.

Across the estuary to the two mountains in the National Park. They only have one wind turbine on Windy Hill.

Over Bremer Point and Bremer Bay – across the other side is James Cove and Peppermint Beach.

Back to Black Rock Road then further west to the site of two of the Wellstead children’s graves. The homestead is only a short distance north but we had to do the long drive around as there is a big sand dune in between.

The rest of the family must be buried in the family plot in Albany.

Back to the main road and then east to Short Beach for lunch. A few people were trying to catch their lunch but with no luck. Found a cute little gecko in the toilet.

A few houses are nestled into the scrub.

The original shack was located just above the carpark.

Back up to the main road then continued south and then west to Blossoms Beach.

Looking across Dillon Bay – on the map it shows a Mt Remarkable – might be the sand dune one.

Another dune behind us that is well used by the looks of the tyre tracks.

Back up the sandy track to the main track where we found the info board at the lookout. Amazing to think of dairying down here.

Zoomed in on Cape Knob on the other side of Dillon Bay.

Further around the point to Native Dog Beach on the east side. Both are good surfing beaches.

Info board about the dingoes.

More homes on the hill side – grand new ones and one that looks old.

The view from the platform – wild waves crashing onto the rocks.

Walked out onto the rocky point between the two beaches. Stood watching the waves roll in from the Southern Ocean.

Back up to Point Henry Road then east to Point Gordon which juts eastward above Point Henry. The road only went a little way out to the point past more homes in the bush then turned down to turn around in the bush. I saw a track with a cliff safety sign so went down to check it out.

Fabulous view from the top of the cliff east to Point Gordon and down to Banky Beach. A steep descent down to the beach though people must go down as there is rope halfway down to assist the descent and ascent. Steve went out further where someone had put a seat!!

Across the point is Point Henry.

They certainly have a spectacular view.

Headed back through the trees to the truck.

Back to Point Henry Road to the end of the bitumen then we turned west down to Little Boat Harbour. Only a small car park area though they provide more parking areas up the hill. Two couples were fishing – one chap had a small whiting and a good sized herring.

Looking across to the track we took down to Blossoms Beach and the tower on Tooreburrup Hill.

Steve found me a little abalone shell.

Back up to the top then down the 4WD track to Point Henry on the east side of the peninsula. There are tracks going off to both sides – obviously locals’ good fishing spots. Some spots were very narrow as the scrub is growing back well – some more bush pin-striping for our truck.

The last bit was more eaten out so I decided we should pull up and walk the rest of the way!!

Steve backed up into the bush and a beautiful peppermint smell greeted us – hence the Wellstead’s called their place Peppermint Grove.

As we headed down I snapped away – Across the other edge of Bremer Bay to Hood Point with Doubtful Islands behind (where the first whaling station was).

Looking back over the bay to Banky Beach and Point Gordon.

At the end there was a memorial to a chap.

Big rocky area.

We walked down as it wasn’t steep and not too windy. Steve found an interesting ‘shell’ – I had taken the top off my thumb cutting onions last night!!

Walked along, there is a good flat platform that you could fish from but we didn’t bother going down to it. Further around the rocks got steeper.

The recent rain has left little pools everywhere.

Back up the track then turned to the south west to another lookout area. Sparkling Island wasn’t as sparkly as the sun shining on the water.

On the other side looking back at the rocks that go around to Point Henry.

Back along the 4WD track to the bitumen. Done enough bush bashing today.

Headed back then nearly back to Bremer we turned east again down While Trail Road to the abalone farm at Back Beach. Lots of pipes going from the farm into the bay.

Read the info about the seadragon then drove down onto the beach, which was very soft sand. Got bogged as Steve hadn’t let any air out of the tyres. I wandered with the camera while he got sorted.

The Bommie which is home for the seadragons.

Further out is an island with a marker but no info about it. I zoomed in on it back off the first lookout at Bremer Point.

Lovely beach so we parked and made a cuppa and enjoyed the view and sunshine.

Headed home after pumping up the tyres again at the service station. As we passed the cleared timber plantation I spotted a herd of emus. When we pulled up though they ran off in the other direction.

Turned onto Miller Point Road and we saw a rabbit run across the road then a goanna had a slow wander across it.

Went for a wander around camp and chatted with a couple who have come from Esperance. They gave me names of good places to stay and things to see which is handy. They are going on the cruise tomorrow out to the Bremer Trench to hopefully see some Killer Whales etc. It is $385 each though they got pensioner rate of $350 so I hope they see heaps and that the weather is better for them. I googled the info and got this photo – that will do us.

Frank, camp host returned and came by. He said it was amazing watching the river swell then break through the sand bar and flow into the ocean. There were big trees etc whizzing down the river and out to sea.

Back to the van for a drink then I saw the lovely golden glow across the inlet on the cliff face. Turned around and saw the sun behind the pine tree as it headed down behind the hills. The clouds are back again.